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February 16, 2005

The HSDPA vs. WiMax Debate Continues

By Nancy Gohring

Operators and vendors cite some more good reasons why HSDPA and WiMax really can’t compete in the eyes of mobile operators: There’s no reason why a mobile operator might not decide to deploy both, but WiMax really isn’t an option instead of HSDPA for mobile operators. One of the most important reasons, as a Siemens spokesperson notes here, is that HSDPA uses the same frequencies as the mobile operators are currently using. Plus, it’s just an upgrade for most operators while WiMax would involve building a whole new network. But WiMax could be an option for mobile operators who acquire the spectrum for it and who decide to target a slightly different market than that which HSDPA might attract.